Stefanus Nashama
The newly established Revolutionary Union (RU) has clarified that workers who recently left other unions to join their ranks exercised their constitutional right to choose a labour union of their preference and did not commit any wrongdoing.
RU’s Proletariat Central Secretary, Julius Natangwe, addressed the issue in response to the announcement by Carbon Twelve Mining workers, who expressed their intention to withdraw their membership applications with RU, indicating that they no longer required union representation for labour-related matters.
Natangwe explained that the workers in question had not yet become official members of the union; they were in the process of joining after submitting their membership applications. Therefore, it was entirely their decision to join RU, and they had the right to change their minds regarding their applications.
“These workers simply changed their minds, exercising their constitutional rights and freedom of association, to either join or leave the union. They have the prerogative to change their minds and opt not to be part of us without fear of retaliation,” he stated.
Natangwe emphasized that all workers’ rights were acknowledged and safeguarded to ensure they could freely make choices based on personal preferences and beliefs. He further pointed out that RU did not endorse any form of entitlement on behalf of workers.
“We respect the freedom of the workers we represent and discourage any sense of entitlement,” he asserted.
He mentioned that the union adhered to the principles outlined in the Namibian Constitution, which is the supreme law, and supported workers’ rights to make choices that serve their best interests.
Natangwe clarified that RU prioritized the well-being and satisfaction of workers and did not reduce it to a mere numbers game. He underscored that the union’s focus was on providing quality representation rather than merely accumulating a large membership base.
“We’d rather effectively represent 500 members than have 20,000 members,” he stressed.
Natangwe encouraged other unions to take note of the actions of workers who chose to leave RU and uphold the principles of freedom of choice and association. To date, almost 2,000 employees have become members of RU, according to Natangwe.
